Monday, May 26, 2014

“For by grace YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Eph 2:8,9)





The word “saved” implies some kind of peril or danger (one is hardly saved from Disneyland!).  The context from which the above passage is taken highlights the mercy of God in delivering men from the power of sin and death and granting them a new life in Christ. This is not simply a reformed life but, a life that comes from God through a spiritual birth. Jesus spoke of this birth when He said, “you must be born again” (John 3:3).  The peril is the future judgment of God. Elsewhere it is called “the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:10) and will culminate in the frightening “lake of fire” (Rev 20:15). This impending judgment will take place following Christ’s second coming (the Bible teaches far more on the second coming than the first). That Christ has already come in fulfillment of Scripture is sobering assurance of His future return.

My son once stood on a train track to face on oncoming train. He had seen a superhero toss on oncoming train and he was going to do the same! Thankfully, he changed his mind as the train approached but, he frightened the life out of his parents! He had NO appreciation of what he really faced. The passage we wish to spend the next few weeks considering is filled with amazing truths concerning deliverance from God’s fearful judgment. It will however be meaningless if you do not believe God is real and is telling the truth.

Jesus came that you might be saved. He wants you to be saved from the “wrath to come.”
 

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